Can my kid have the Covid-19 vaccine?

We’ve been asked if children will be getting the Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccines are considered safe by the MHRA, but when can our kids get the vaccine?

The MHRA is the  Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is a branch of the Department of Health and Social Care in the United Kingdom. They are responsible for making sure that medicines (including the Covid-19 vaccine) and medical devices are safe. MHRA was formed in 2003.

The MHRA deemed that the Covid-19 vaccines are safe for use in December 2020. The main aim at the moment is to relieve the pressure on NHS hospitals. Therefore as the elderly and other at-risk groups are more likely to end up hospitalised they are given priority.

What the government says

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock said: “This vaccine will not be used for children. It hasn’t been tested on children. And the reason is that the likelihood of children having significant detriment if they catch Covid-19 is very, very low. Mr. Hancock went on to say that this vaccine is “An adult vaccine, for the adult population”

We’ll have to wait for the government to let us know if and when kids can get the vaccine. We’re sure that although children aren’t to get the vaccine yet, they will. This will surely be done once it’s proved safe for them. It’s likely to be nearer to the end of the year, possibly even into early 2022.

Pfizer went down to children age 12 in its trials, and BioNtech did not do clinical trials on people under 18 years of age.

I’m pregnant – can I get the vaccine?

Vaccination should only be considered for pregnant women when the potential benefits outweigh any potential risks.

This may be where the risk of exposure to coronavirus is high and cannot be avoided, or where underlying health condition would mean a high risk of suffering from Covid-19 complications.

While there are no specific safety concerns with the vaccines from the MHRA. As with children, the vaccines were not tested on pregnant women during the trials.

Although the MHRA had previously recommended that breastfeeding women should not be given the vaccine. This advice was changed on the 30th December 2020 and women who are breastfeeding can be given the vaccine.

You can read more guidance on coronavirus from the MHRA and their guidance on the Covid-19 vaccine here.